Major Ernest Pettigrew and Mrs. Jasmina Ali have much in common: a love of reading, both widowed, both resident in the small Sussex town of Edgecome St. Mary. Both are trying to deal with the machinations of troublesome family members who have become more so in the wake of the deaths of their respective spouses. Edgecombe St. Mary is a provincial community in more ways than one. As Major Pettigrew and Mrs. Ali move towards a romantic relationship the village makes its gossip more explicit, and it becomes obvious that the public is not willing to accept the Anglo-Pakistani Mrs. Ali as part of its establishment. This is a delightful book in so many ways. Part pastoral novel, part comedy of manners, this work is like a vintage English novel mixed with some very modern themes. The characters are richly drawn, and the book retains the feel of the old English countryside.
Helen Simonson, Major Pettigrew's Last Stand (Random House, 2010) ISBN: 1400068932
2 comments:
This sounds great and I really think that I would enjoy it - thanks for posting a sweet and interesting review -
Hannah
This sounds fabulous! Thank you for introducing me to it. I will put it on my list immediately!
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